Call Me Daddy

Her son was destined for great success in the future, and the two born earlier couldn’t benefit from her at all.

Since things had come to this point, Li Shi was no longer afraid of tearing their faces. After her son became a scholar, these people would still come to flatter her. Right now, they could complain because her son hadn’t yet reached a high status. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be suffering such humiliation.

“Let’s split the family! Since you all think I’m a vicious stepmother who bullies Second Su and his family, then let’s just split up. Anyway, the youngest in the family is about to become a father soon. It’s no longer appropriate for them to live together.” Li Shi shocked everyone by directly mentioning a family division.

Those who had come to stand up for Second Su originally aimed to get Su Kuishan and his wife to promise to treat Second Su better in the future. If they divided the family, how would a crippled man and a young girl manage? Anyone with a brain could see that Li Shi would never give good things to the eldest and second sons.

Moreover, Second Su’s injuries hadn’t even healed yet, and it was unknown how much more money would be needed for his recovery. Li Shi’s call for a family division was essentially pushing Second Su towards ruin.

Good intentions had backfired. Even the Wang and Ma families, who had other motives, were stunned and looked at Su Aobai with guilt.

***

“We won’t divide the family. I don’t want to divide the family. Mother, you said before that you would treat me well and let me help you in your old age!” Su Aobai cried out loudly, tears and snot streaming down his face, as if the idea of a family division had frightened him.

“When did I ever say that?”

Li Shi spat at him, asserting that she had a son of her own and didn’t need her stepson to support her.

The people nearby had the same doubts, but soon everyone realized that this statement was likely something Li Shi had said when Second Su was very young.

When Li Shi married in, she wasn’t young, and knowing she might not be able to conceive, she naturally treated the young Second Su well. If she couldn’t have her own children, raising this one well would make no difference in the future.

Her attitude toward the child changed after she gave birth to Su Youliang and confirmed he was a boy.

Li Shi also recalled that she had treated her stepson well until he was 3 years old. Perhaps she had said something similar back then. But who could remember such things from childhood? Who could remember them for over 20 years?

“Anyway, the family must be separated today. I don’t want to be scolded as a stepmother anymore. Let’s all live separately from now on. You’ll be free, and I’ll be relieved… What do you say, Husband? I can’t continue living like this. If you disagree with the separation, I’ll go to town to find Youwen. I’ll live in the town with him and his wife.”

Li Shi’s words clearly carried a threat. If there was no family division, she would separate from Su Kuishan.

No one present had ever encountered such a bold and overbearing woman. Which wife dared to openly say she wanted to live separately from her husband? Li Shi truly was beyond control.

But what was the use of their anger? Su Kuishan was firmly under the control of such a woman.

He understood that his fourth son was closer to Li Shi. If Li Shi really moved to town to live with their fourth son, his relationship with his fourth son would become distant.

That was his most successful son, already a scholar at a young age. In a few years, he would surely become a scholar-official. When that happened, even the village chief would have to address him as Old Master Su.

Weighing the pros and cons in his mind, Su Kuishan crouched down, holding his head, and took on an attitude of being helpless and forced, allowing the old woman to have her way.

***

Su Youtian, watching the old man, felt a heavy weight in his heart.

Previously, he had two sources of confidence for opposing his stepmother; his wife’s family and his father’s favor. But now, it seemed that with his fourth brother becoming a scholar, even his status as the eldest son was being overshadowed.

Su Youtian’s mind suddenly became clear. He had once considered fighting the stepmother to the end, believing that he, as the eldest son, should receive a large share of the family’s land and property. However, now that he was awake, he began to consider whether separating from the family and living his own small life might be better.

Compared to the past life, he who was stubbornly resistant until hitting a wall, Su Youtian now saw the true nature of his father’s cold indifference through his second brother’s crippled state and was taking a path completely different from his previous life.

But if we did separate, what would happen to second brother?

Su Youtian had feelings for his biological brother, but they weren’t deep. After all, over the years, this brother had always sided with his stepmother.

He could occasionally offer some help, but he couldn’t support him entirely. He didn’t want Su Youniu to become a burden to himself or his children.

“Let’s split the family. Let’s do it and get it over with!”

Seeing the old husband’s attitude, Li Shi’s mood improved immediately. She had won against the woman before her, and her son had also triumphed over the son born to that woman.

***

“We can’t divide the family!”

Su Aobai’s cries grew more pitiful. Ignoring his leg injury, he even knelt on the ground.

“Er Niang, you kneel too. Hurry, kneel with father and beg Grandma not to split the family.”

He crawled forward on all fours, not only kneeling himself but also trying to pull Second Aunt down to kneel with him.

The small flame of hope in Er Niang’s eyes was completely extinguished. Her father was still the same…

“Er Niang, we can’t separate the family. The family really can’t be split!”

Su Aobai’s face was filled with terror. He had never been so distressed, even when he learned that his leg might be crippled.

“I…I can’t have any more children. In this life, I can only have Er Niang. If the family splits, Er Niang will have no maternal family. Father, Mother, I’ll work hard. I’m willing to give my life if needed. Please, don’t separate. What kind of life does a girl without a maternal family have after marriage? I don’t want anything, just please let Er Niang have a support. Let her cousins protect her.”

His words exploded in the ears of everyone present, and even the already despairing Er Niang’s eyes widened in shock.

Second Su couldn’t have more children!

This matter had never been whispered about in the village. Since Second Su had said it himself, it must be true. Who would joke about such a thing?

This also made his increasingly quiet and subdued demeanor over the years seem more reasonable.

Since Second Su only had Er Niang, he had to work hard and contribute more to the family so that his nephews would appreciate him. He also encouraged his daughter to work hard and not compete with her siblings to foster good relations, hoping that they would support her in times of trouble.

Er Niang was born without a mother, and such a girl would be scrutinized more during marriage negotiations. Without a maternal family to back her, she would seem unfortunate and less desirable. Better families would avoid her.

If the family was divided, Second Su and Er Niang would have to start their own household. But if the family remained united, they would still be part of a larger family, with cousins and brothers-in-law offering support.

Moreover, Second Su’s fourth brother was a scholar. Even just for the sake of having a scholar’s niece, some people would be willing to marry Er Niang. This would make her marriage prospects much smoother.

Perhaps knowing he couldn’t have more children, Second Su had never protested his parents’ refusal to remarry him. Given his condition, even remarrying wouldn’t help him continue the family line. It was better to honestly raise Er Niang.

No one had expected that the greatest reason for Second Su’s endurance over the years was his love for his daughter, not even Er Niang herself.

She had always thought her father didn’t care for her.

The young girl covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

Even the coldest-hearted person would be moved by such a scene. How had the most pitiful situation in the world fallen upon this father and daughter? If the family really divided, how would they survive?

***

But Li Shi wasn’t swayed. On the contrary, after hearing Second Su’s words, her resolve to split the family grew even stronger.

Previously, the only burden was Second Su. If the family didn’t separate, there would be an additional burden from Er Niang.

She started thinking that the second son wasn’t honest and had originally intended to use her fourth son as his pillar of support. This girl was born to bring misfortune to her mother and had even caused her father to be infertile. Her fate was so ominous that she absolutely couldn’t be allowed to live under the same roof any longer.

“Mother, are you really this heartless…?”

Su Aobai had already knocked his head until it bled, and he was also pushing his daughter to kneel. However, due to his concern, he wasn’t pressing hard. Er Niang had only bent slightly at the waist, not really knocking her head to the ground.

From these details, it was clear that, deep down, he truly cared for his daughter.

At this point, Second Su seemed to be so agitated that he could no longer control his rationality. He tilted his head back, letting the blood from his forehead run into his eyes, nose, and mouth. His hands were clenched into fists, and as he breathed, the veins in his neck stood out, becoming as thick as his face.

“This family will be divided!” Li Shi declared firmly, unmoved in the slightest.

“Hahaha, hahaha!”

Su Aobai fell silent for a moment, then suddenly looked up and laughed loudly.

Heaven help us, Second Su from the Su family must be going mad.

Everyone fell silent. Er Niang clung tightly to her father’s clothes, tears streaming down, obscuring her worried eyes.

She wanted to say that dividing the family was fine. She could take care of herself and her father. She was very capable; she knew how to gather wild vegetables and mushrooms, cut pigweed, make pig feed, chop firewood, and start fires… She could even work for others as long as they provided a bit of food…

If that wasn’t enough, she and her father could starve together, and it would still be better than staying in this family.

Because she knew her father loved her, she was a child who was cared for. Even if she died, she would have no regrets.

Su Aobai laughed and laughed until those around him were panicking.

He then tightly hugged his daughter and, dragging his injured leg, struggled to stand up. He stumbled several times, nearly falling because of the injured leg, but with the help of those around him, he finally managed to stay on his feet.

“Let’s split the family. From now on, I’ll live with Er Niang. Thank you, Father and Mother, for letting me know that I can only rely on myself.”

Su Aobai wiped the blood from his face with his hand, then turned and looked down at his daughter.

“From now on, you’ll live with me. Are you afraid?”

“I’m not afraid!”

Er Niang replied firmly.

“Good child, good child, my dear Er Niang.”

Su Aobai carefully patted her head. This scene brought tears to the eyes of many women present.

The second family’s father and daughter were so pitiful!

Li Shi, this stepmother, was so cruel!

This was the consensus of everyone present.